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Emporia State University Memorial Union
Memorial Union before its renovation in 2010
General information
Status	Open
Type	Student union
Address	1331 Market Street Emporia, Kansas
Coordinates	38°24′52″N 96°10′41″W / 38.414316°N 96.178011°W / 38.414316; -96.178011
Groundbreaking	1922
Completed	1924
Opened	February 15, 1925; 99 years ago (1925-02-15)
Renovated	1990, 2012
Cost	$24.5 million ($34.7 million in 2023 dollars)
Owner	Emporia State University
Technical details
Floor area	168,000 square feet (16,000 m)
Lifts/elevators	4
Renovating team
Architect(s)	Treanor Architects of Lawrence
Renovating firm	Ferrel Construction
Other information
Parking	Parking lot
Website
www.emporia.edu/union

The Emporia State University Memorial Union is the student activity center on the Emporia State University campus in Emporia, Kansas.

History

The Memorial Union was built to remember the World War I service members who were students at the Kansas State Teachers College and is the first student union on the west side of the Mississippi River. The three-story building houses conferences and campus meetings, as well as the dining hall for students living in the residence halls.

Administration

The Union is a corporation operated by a director and two assistant directors. Staff includes almost 20 full-time staff members, and almost 50 student workers, and houses the most employees on the Emporia State campus.

Services

• Student I.D.s and ticking – The I.D. Office is in charge of student IDs and tickets for campus events.
• Memorial Union Bookstore – The campus bookstore is operated by Barnes & Noble College Booksellers. The bookstore sells class textbooks as well as clothing.
• Center for Student Involvement – houses the student government offices.
• Conference and Scheduling – Schedules group conferences or events at the University

Corky's Cupboard

In Spring 2014, an idea was proposed to the university administration to provide an on-campus pantry for students living in poverty. As a collaboration between the CSI and Student Wellness Center, volunteers provided canned food items and collaborate with KVOE (AM) and the community to fill the shelves. Students are only allowed to retrieve items form the pantry once a week with 10 or fewer items.

Dining

The Union houses the on-campus dining services through Sodexo and Coca-Cola. The area where the students eat is called the Hornets Nest. The Union also has two small stores, the Hornet Express) and Buzzcotti, which sells Starbucks coffee as well.

Rooms

Throughout the year, conferences are held throughout the 30+ rooms in the Union.

• West Lobby
• Main Street (in front of CSI)
• East Lobby
• Hornets Nest
• Heritage Room
• Phi Kappa Phi Room
• East Entry Lounge
• Diversity Lounge
• Heart of America Room
• Webb Hall (can be divided into two rooms)
• Alumni Lounge
• Blue Key Leadership
• Greek Room
• Preston Family Room
• Skyline Dining Room
• Flint Hills Room (can combine with the Kanza Room)
• Kanza Room (can combine with the Flint Hills Room)
• Great Plains Room
• Roe R. Cross Room
• K.S.T.C. Ballroom
• Kansas State Normal Room (can combine with the Black & Gold and EKSC Rooms)
• Black & Gold Room (can combine with the KSN and EKSC Rooms)
• Emporia Kansas State College Room (can combine with the Black & Gold and KSN Rooms)
• Miller Family Room
• Phi Delta Kappa Room
• Xi Phi Room
• Bloomer Veteran's Hall of Honor
• Associated Student Government Senate Chambers (3rd floor)
• Google Room

Martha the Ghost

Over the years, there have been many reports of a ghost named Martha. From 1925 to about 1950, single female faculty members lived on the third floor of the Memorial Union, now The Bulletin and Sunflower offices. The story is that Martha asked her boyfriend to marry her, and he said no. So that night, she hung herself in one of the rooms. Stories say that Martha haunts that area as well as the Memorial Union Bookstore. There have been reports of doors slamming, lights going on and off and objects being moved. The most common report is that the operation managers will lock the building up at night, turn around, and see that a light on the third floor is on. So, they would go shut it off, go back outside, turn around, only to find out that the light was still on, and they wouldn't go back.

References

1. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
2. "Emporia State University - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society". Kshs.org. May 1, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
3. "Memorial Union Services". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
4. "Memorial Union Administration". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
5. "Ticketing". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
6. "MU Bookstore". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
7. "Center for Student Involvement". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
8. "Conference & Scheduling". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
9. Corky's Cupboard – emporia.edu
10. Corky's Cupboard – Emporia Gazette
11. "Sodexo and Coca-Cola at ESU". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
12. "Hornets Nest". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
13. "Hornet Express". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
14. "Buzzcotti". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
15. "Memorial Union Rooms available for rent". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
16. ^ "The Bulletin's Interview about Martha". Retrieved October 13, 2014.

External links

• Official website

v t e Emporia State University
Academics	Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies School of Applied Health Sciences School of Business and Technology Kansas Business Hall of Fame School of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Library and Information Management and Archives School of Sciences and Mathematics School of Visual and Performing Arts Teachers College National Teachers Hall of Fame
Athletics	Overview: Emporia State Hornets (conference) Teams Baseball Basketball men women Football Seasons Turnpike Tussle Facilities Francis G. Welch Stadium Trusler Sports Complex William L. White Auditorium Media KFFX KVOE Radio
People	Alumni Presidents Ken Hush Provost Brent Thomas Athletics Director David Spafford
Student life	"Fight On, Emporia!" Corky the Hornet Memorial Union
Established: 1863

• Student activity centers in the United States
• Emporia State University
• Buildings and structures in Lyon County, Kansas
• 1925 establishments in Kansas